Things That Go Bump In The Night
by Kelon
Summary: Erin Lindsay thought she knew the dangers of Chicago's streets. She was wrong. When she crosses paths with a mysterious stranger, her world is slowly turned upside down.
1. Chapter 1

**Things That Go Bump In The Night**

Author: Kelon

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners… none of which are me. I simply borrow them for my entertainment.

Summary: Erin Lindsay thought she knew the dangers of Chicago's streets. She was wrong. When she crosses paths with a mysterious stranger, her world is slowly turned upside down.

Warning: Multiple crossovers ahead.

Rating: T to M for cursing, violence, non-graphic romance and vampiric horror content.

Dedicated to ADR – my one true love. You make getting up every morning worthwhile. And to Sophia Bush. You are an inspiration on and off the screen. I love your work and your activism. It is because of you two wonderful ladies that I am trying to make this world a better place.

Author's notes: This story begins at the end of "Different Mistakes" (Season 1, Episode 8) and is also a continuation of my other story, My Enemy's Enemy, just 14+ years into the future. Enjoy! P.S. I greatly welcome any and all feedback. Please review!

_Italics denotes thoughts._

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Molly's Bar, Chicago, Illinois  
****14 January, 2014 - 21:42 CST**

Erin worked her way through the crowd, looking for Antonio. _Come on, _she thought. _He said he'd be here. _After she unsuccessfully tried to convince Nadia to come back to the apartment or tell her where she was, Erin felt horrible. She really didn't want to stay home alone, and the prospect of an open ear and a drink or three made her head over to Molly's. Her eyes scanned the room and she found Antonio, Al, Adam and Jay sitting together at a table.

As she approached the table, Jay noticed her first. "Hey." His eyes studied her as she walked around Ruzek to the open seat, eyes downcast. He knew her and immediately realized something was bothering her. "Everything okay," he asked her.

Erin looked at him as she sat down. _No, everything is not okay. __But I can't talk about it. Not now, not with everyone here. _Trying to deflect the question, she said, "Ask me that after I had a drink." Her voice had a tone of finality in it, and Jay knew better than to keep pressing her.

She gave Antonio a grateful smile when he reached over and supportively put his hand on her shoulder before he raised a shot of whiskey for a toast. Erin grabbed a shot that was waiting in front of her. While she listened to his words, she felt herself starting to relax a bit. It felt good to be amongst her colleagues and friends. As the first shot of liquor went down her throat, the burning sensation distracted her from the anguish she felt inside from thinking about Nadia. She tried to push those thoughts aside, instead focusing on the people around her and hoping that a few more drinks would sufficiently numb her pain.

* * *

**An alleyway, South Side of Chicago, Illinois  
****14 January, 2014 - 23:18 CST**

Nadia was sitting on the frozen ground, her back against the wall of an abandoned warehouse. It had started snowing again, and the wind was swirling the snowflakes around in an erratic and ever-changing pattern. She paid no attention to her surroundings. She felt the cold earlier, but by now her body had gone numb from the extreme freezing temperatures. Her tear-streaked face had lost most of its color, but she didn't really feel the physical pain. Her thoughts were preoccupied by Erin Lindsay. _I'm sorry. I'm sorry. _Those words reverberated in her mind over and over again. She hated that she walked out on her chance to get better. The thought of fighting her addiction became too much earlier that night while she was waiting for Erin to return home and in a moment of weakness and panic, she gathered her things and left.

Lost in her thoughts, she did not notice the man until he squatted down in front of her. He was well dressed in an expensive-looking suit and overcoat, his hands covered by leather gloves. Silently, he just starred at her, studying her face.

"Who are you," Nadia managed to asked, her voice weak.

The man grinned at her and raised his right index finger in front of his lips. "Shhhh," is all he said before he lunged forward, his hand covering Nadia's mouth as he jerked her head to the side.

Nadia felt a sharp pain in her neck that quickly subsided. She tried struggling with her attacker, but she was no match for his strength. A feeling of tiredness washed over her as her energy drained away. One last image of Erin sitting across from her in the diner this morning flashed through her mind before everything went dark.

* * *

He turned around the corner into an alleyway and saw his target again. He had temporarily lost him in this maze of industrial buildings as he was following him around earlier waiting for an opportunity to strike. The feeling of satisfaction of catching up again was quickly replaced with worry when he realized the scene in front of him. _Shit, he's already feeding, _he cursed in his mind.

_I can't shoot him from here, not without risking her life. Really don't feel like pulling off the drunk routine, and probably not enough time for it anyways, _he thought as he was weighing his options. He knew that he normally could not just sneak up on a vampire undetected, but when they were feeding, their senses were lease sharp and he might get lucky. _Fuck it! Let's just do this the direct way. _

Pulling his gun from his shoulder holster and sliding a stake out of his right jacket sleeve, he stealthily and quietly made his way down the alleyway. The vampire continued feeding on his victim, seemingly unaware of his presence. As he got within 15 feet, he accidentally stepped on a thin patch of frozen snow. The creaky sound made the vampire jump to his feet and whirl around. "Wha…" was all he could say before a magnesium round hit him square in the face, causing him to stagger back. In a blur of movement, the human bridged the gap and thrust his hand forward, plunging a stake into the undead's heart. The vampire fell to the ground, frozen in place.

* * *

**Molly's Bar, Chicago, Illinois  
****14 January, 2014 - 23:37 CST**

"You wanna talk about it," Jay asked his partner. Al and Antonio had gone home earlier, and Ruzek was hanging out with Burgess at the bar, so they had some privacy if Erin wanted to talk. He was worried about her. She clearly wasn't herself tonight, her usual sense of humor replaced by something else that was weighing on her. She had been drinking heavily, mostly sticking to shots, and when he realized that she was hell-bent on getting drunk, he switched to club soda in case he had to bring her home.

Erin kept staring at the shot of liquor on the table in front of her. After a few seconds, she looked up and gave Jay a weak smile. "I thought I did," she admitted. "But then I think that talking about it doesn't change a damn thing." With that, she lifted the shot glass and downed its content, enjoying the feeling of warmth as it ran down her throat.

Jay reached across the table, took her hand into his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You might be surprised. But if you don't want to talk about now, that's ok. Just know that I'm there for you when you are ready."

She nodded. "Thanks, Jay," she whispered almost inaudibly. "Could you take me home? I don't feel great."

"Of course," he said as he got up and helped her into her coat. "This is the first time I get to drive, so how could I say no to that?"

Erin laughed, the first genuine smile coming to her face all evening. "Yeah, just don't get used to it, Halstead. Tomorrow you are back in the passenger seat."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Author's notes: Thank you all for your interest in this story. I'm fascinated to see readers from 17 different countries spread across five continents – very cool. Please take the time to post a review and let me know what you think. I'm going to focus on finishing up chapter 10 for My Enemy's Enemy next, but will probably be able to sneak in an update or two for this story, as well, especially since chapter 3 is almost complete already. Enjoy!

* * *

**Street outside County General Hospital, Chicago, Illinois  
****14 January, 2014 - 23:32 CST**

_Don't you die on me, girl, _he thought as he was racing towards the emergency room of the nearest hospital. Holding the steering wheel with his left hand, he reached over to Nadia's unconscious body buckled into the passenger seat. Relieved to detect a faint pulse, he pulled into the driveway of County General Hospital and came to a screeching stop right outside the entrance to the ER.

Jumping out of his car, he raced to open the passenger door and lifted her limp form from the car. "I NEED A DOCTOR," he yelled as he entered the emergency room. A nurse and a younger looking doctor came running towards him, pushing a stretcher. He gently put her down on it before taking a step back to give them room to work on her. "I'm Dr. Carter. What happened to her," the doctor asked as he started to check her vitals.

"She was attacked. Stab wounds to the neck. I think she lost a lot of blood and may also be suffering from hypothermia."

Dr. Carter nodded. "Thank you, we got it from here. Let's take her to number 3," he directed the team as Nadia was being moved away. "You'll have to stay to answer some questions. Please have a seat and one of the nurses will be right with you."

"Sure," he said and watched them leave before calmly turning around and slipping out of the ER unnoticed.

* * *

**Inside Erin's car en route to her apartment, Chicago, Illinois  
****15 January, 2014 - 00:04 CST**

They were driving in silence. Erin had her eyes closed, breathing slowly and hoping to make it to her apartment without getting sick.

"We're almost there," Jay told her as he carefully maneuvered Erin's car through the snowy streets of Chicago. He kept stealing glances at Erin, a constant look of worry on his face. He had never seen her like this, and it started to freak him out.

When they were only a couple of blocks from Erin's apartment, her cell phone started ringing. With a groan, Erin opened her eyes and unsteadily pulled the phone from her coat pocket. "County General," she said surprised when she read the caller ID. Taking a deep breath, she picked up the call. "This is Lindsay."

Her eyes grew wide as she listened to the voice on the phone. "When," she asked as she was sitting more upright in her seat. "Is she ok?" Erin's eyes were welling up as she tried to process the information. "I understand. Thank you, Nurse Lockhart. I'll be there as soon as possible." She dropped the phone into her lap and looked over to Jay, who had already turned the car around as he was speeding towards the hospital. She felt sick, and it wasn't just because of the alcohol. _I failed her, _she thought. _I should have known better than to leave her alone. I was too trusting, too hopeful and too naive. And now someone hurt her. Badly. _

"Who's in the hospital," Jay eventually asked when it became clear that Erin wasn't going to talk. He quickly looked over to her and saw her lips quivering as she was clearly trying to hold back tears. Focusing on the road again as he was driving as fast as the weather conditions allowed, he heard her draw in a sharp breath.

"Jay," she said quietly, "If I talk about it now, I'm gonna lose it. And that can't happen. I really need to keep it together." Seeing him nod, she continued, "I promise I will tell you later." _But right now, I'm just praying that Nadia is still alive by the time we get there. _

* * *

**County General Hospital, Chicago, Illinois  
****15 January, 2014 - 00:22 CST**

When they arrived at the hospital, Lindsay reached over and took Jay's hand before he had a chance to get out of the car. Surprised, he turned to face her. "Thanks for being there for me tonight, Jay. I needed that."

He gave her a reassuring smile. "Anytime. You'd do the same for me."

She nodded, and kept holding his hand while she was steadying herself both physically and mentally. After a minute, she felt ready. "Okay, let's go."

* * *

They entered the ER and walked straight to the nurses' station. Erin flashed her badge. "Hi, I'm Detective Lindsay with the Chicago PD. This is Detective Halstead. I received a call from Nurse Lockhart about a young woman that was brought in about an hour ago."

The nurse nodded, turned around and called out, "Hey Abby! The police are here."

Another nurse walked over to them, smiling. "Hi, I'm Abby Lockhart. Detective Lindsay?"

Erin nodded. "And this is my partner, Detective Halstead." Jay gave the nurse a quick wave. "Is she ok," Erin asked concerned.

"She stabilized more than when she got here, but I would say she is still in critical condition. Dr. Carter is working on her, so she is in great hands. I'm sure he can give you an update regarding her condition."

"Could we see her?"

Nodding, Nurse Lockhart started leading them away. "I'm glad you could come this quickly. As I told you on the phone, the young woman had no ID of any kind on her. The only thing we could find on her was a partially torn up business card with your name and number. We'd like to see if you could identify her, if possible." They arrived outside of an examination room. Through the glass panels in the door, they could see a team of doctors and nurses in green scrubs working on someone on a stretcher. "Please wait a moment while I check with the doctor if it is ok for you to come in." With that, Nurse Lockhart left them outside while she went into the room.

When the doctor turned to speak to Nurse Lockhart, Erin and Jay could see Nadia's face from outside the room. Although she knew that it had to be her, the sight came as a shock to Erin. She gasped and took a step back, almost tripping over her feet in the process. Thankfully, Jay was there to catch her and keep her from falling. He recognized Nadia, too, from their case a few weeks ago. "You okay, Erin," he asked her in a low voice as he continued to steady her.

She looked up at him with a fierceness in her eyes that he knew all too well. "No. But I will be when we nail the fucking bastard that did this to her."

* * *

After Erin and Jay were brought into the room to identify Nadia, Dr. Carter led them back to the hallway outside. "She has two puncture wounds in her neck that penetrated the main artery, which likely led to a significant loss of blood. That, along with exposure to the elements, almost killed her. If she had gotten here any later than she did, I don't think she would still be alive."

Erin listened intently, her arms crossed in front of her and Jay right by her side. "Is she gonna make it?"

"She's still very weak, but her vital signs are improving, which is promising. If she makes it through the night, she should have excellent prospects to make a full recovery. There's something else, though," Dr. Carter said, before hesitating for a moment. "Toxicology reports aren't back yet, but we found signs of drug abuse on her body. She has injection marks on both of her arms."

With a sad look on her face, Erin nodded. "Yeah, she's an addict. Which is going to make recovery harder." She sighed. "I really don't like saying this, but if she needs to be restrained until she's stable enough to enter treatment, then please do so. I will come back in the morning to check on her. In the meantime, please call me if there is a significant change."

Dr. Carter nodded in agreement and turned to leave.

"One last question," Erin called out. "How was she brought in? Did someone find her and call an ambulance?"

Dr. Carter stopped and shook his head. "No, a civilian brought her into the ER. We told him to wait, but he left before we could get his information or determine how he found her."

Jay and Erin exchanged a knowing look. "Thanks, Dr. Carter," Jay said. "We need to speak to your security company about accessing your security camera data."

"It's all done remotely," Dr. Carter said. "Jerry at the desk can you give the contact information."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Author's notes: I feel very humbled by the level of interest in this story. Thank you all! As always, reviews are very welcome! Enjoy!

* * *

**Erin's Apartment, Chicago, Illinois  
****15 January, 2014 - 01:43 CST**

"What a night," Jay stated as he plopped down on the couch next to Erin, handing her a glass of water and two aspirin pills.

Erin accepted them with a small nod. "Yeah." She took the aspirin and downed the full glass of water, feeling really dehydrated from having all that liquor earlier in the night. As Erin gathered her thoughts and Jay reflected on the events of the evening, they just sat together in silence. It didn't feel awkward, though. It was actually nice. Comfortable. Safe. Not for the first time that evening, Jay stole a glance of Erin, trying to figure out what exactly upset her this much. _If she wants to tell me, she will,_ he thought to himself. _There's no reason for me to push for an answer. All I want is for her to be ok. _

After a few minutes, Erin slightly turned toward Jay, but didn't look at him. With her hands folded in her lap and her thumbs twirling in a clear sign of strained nerves, she swallowed hard before starting to speak in a low voice. "That could have been me."

Jay looked over at her, studying her face. "What do you mean?"

"Nadia," she simply replied. "That could have been me." She laughed bitterly. "That was me. Before…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes started to glisten and a lone tear rolled down her cheek.

"Hey, hey, hey," Jay said as her put his arm around her and pulled her close. Erin didn't resist, grateful for his presence and support. She rested her head on his shoulder as the tears started flowing more freely, her body shaking slightly from the occasional sobs that following. Jay just held her tightly, gently kissing the top of her head and telling her that everything was going to be okay.

Eventually, Erin calmed down and stopped crying. Jay leaned over, grabbed the tissue box from the table and brought it close so Erin could reach it. She pulled out a couple of tissue, dried her eyes and blew her nose. Looking gratefully at Jay, she gave him an embarrassed smile. "Sorry, I think I ruined your shirt with all the crying."

He smiled at her, shaking his head. "Nah, don't worry about it." Looking down at this soaked shirt, he started to grin and said, "I'm sure my dry cleaner can get all of that snot out in no time."

Erin laughed and punched him on the shoulder. "Just for that I'll never let you drive again."

* * *

**District 21 Police Department, Chicago, Illinois  
****15 January, 2014 - 08:01 CST**

Jay walked down the stairs to the basement and let out a big yawn. He barely got any sleep the night before and felt like a zombie. Erin had finally fallen asleep around 3:00 in the morning. He manage to carry her to bed and tuck her in without waking her up before going back to the couch to crash himself, but worrying about Erin practically kept him up all night. _I'm like a disturbed stalker,_ he laughed to himself when he tried to remember how many times he had gotten up to check on her only to end up standing there for a while to watch her sleep. _Yeah, I got it bad. _

"Hey Jin!" he called out as he entered Jin's "lair", as he liked to call it.

Jin turned around in his chair. "Hey, good morning." Taking in Jay's disheveled state and sleepy eyes, he raised an eyebrow. "You look like hell."

"Feel like it, too," Jay replied. Looking over his shoulder to make sure the door was closed and no one else was near, he leaned on the counter and said, "I need a favor for Lindsay. Off the books."

"Off the books, huh," Jin answered, now giving this his full attention. "I'm all ears."

* * *

**Erin's Apartment, Chicago, Illinois  
****15 January, 2014 - 08:05 CST**

Erin opened her eyes and quickly closed them again, the light assaulting her senses. She felt slightly nauseous and foggy, yet comforted by the softness of the pillow and the warmth of the blanket wrapped around her. She smiled when she remembered how Jay had taken care of her last night when she needed him. She slowly opened her eyes again and looked around the bedroom. She was alone in bed, the other side of the sheets untouched. "Jay," she called out, but didn't get an answer. She got up and slowly walked out into the living room. "Jay," she asked again, but realized that she was alone.

She looked around with a feeling of disappointment that he had left her when her eyes settled on her kitchen counter. There was an ungodly amount of food spread out, and as she got closer she could smell fresh coffee waiting for her. In front of the food was a note with her name scribbled on it. Curious, she took it and turned it around.

"Erin, glad you managed to get some sleep. Didn't want to wake you this morning. I wasn't sure what you were in the mood for for breakfast, so I just got you a little bit of everything. Called the hospital for you, too. Nadia stabilized and should come through fine. See you later at work. J."

Erin couldn't help but smile at his thoughtfulness, and reading that Nadia was doing better made her feel like a huge weight was lifted off her. _She's doing better. I'm so happy that I could cry again. This time, I am not going to let her down. _

Realizing that she was starving, Erin put down the note, grabbed the coffee and started exploring her food choices.

* * *

**County General Hospital, Chicago, Illinois  
****15 January, 2014 - 09:45 CST**

Erin walked into the hospital, carrying a large paper bag and a small bouquet of flowers. Seeing Jerry behind the nurses' station, she walked over and put the bag on the counter.

"Detective Lindsay," he smiled at her, knowing exactly why we was there. "Room 302. I'll tell Dr. Carter that you are here so he can stop by and speak with you."

"Thanks, Jerry. There's breakfast for you guys in the bag," she replied as Jerry nodded his thanks and already pulled out a chocolate chip muffin for himself. Taking the elevator up to the third floor, Erin thought about what she wanted to say to Nadia if she found her conscious. It pretty much was what pre-occupied her mind on the drive over. Well, that, and thinking about Jay. She knew that she shouldn't go there, that they agreed on keeping it professional. That Voight was not going to tolerate any kind of relationship between them. _But I also can't ignore these feelings much longer. He makes me feel safe. Respected. Loved. _She shook her head. _No. No. No. Not going there. Not using the "L" word. _The elevator stopped, interrupting her train of thought and allowing her to refocus on the task at hand. Nadia.

She stepped out into the hallway and quickly found room 302. The door was closed, and Erin stood outside for a moment taking a few deep breaths before quietly opening the door and stepping inside. The morning light was streaming in through the windows, brightly filling the room. The only sound in the room came from a heart monitor that was rhythmically beeping in tune with Nadia's heartbeat. Erin stepped into the room to see Nadia lying in bed with her eyes closed. She was hooked up to various monitors, IVs and machines. Both her wrists were in restraints that were attached to the metal bed frame, and Erin couldn't help but notice how frail she looked.

Pulling up a chair next to the bed, Erin sat down, studying Nadia before pushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. Letting her hand linger on the side of Nadia's face, Erin whispered, "I'm sorry for what happened to you. And for not realizing that you needed more help than I gave you." Nadia didn't stir, and Erin was content to just sit there and spend some time while she was waiting for Dr. Carter to get an update.

* * *

**District 21 Police Department, Chicago, Illinois  
****15 January, 2014 - 11:17 CST**

Jin walked over to Jay, who was sitting at his desk alone while Olinsky, Ruzek and Dawson were following up on some leads outside. Voight hadn't shown up yet. Neither had Lindsay. Wordlessly, Jin put two manila folders on his desk.

"What's that," Jay asked as he grabbed one and started looking at the content.

"One for you, one for Lindsay. Pictures from both the inside and outside cameras, including a nice closeup. And I got a license plate, registrant information, the whole nine yards. Still running the picture through the federal database to see if we get anything else." Jin grinned and raised his arms. "Oh yeah, Jin comes up big in the clutch again."

Jay grinned at Jin's victory dance, but had to admit that he was impressed with what he saw in the file. "Any chance you can put the car on the tracker?"

"Already done. This guy drives anywhere, we'll find him."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Author's notes: Thank you all again for the positive reviews and private messages I have received over the past few days. I feel inspired to keep this story going, especially since the next new part of CPD is not going to air until April 2nd, so the next chapter of my other story is going to take a bit longer to finish… ;) One note to avoid confusion: this story will not always follow a fully linear timeline, so sometimes events in later chapters will actually occur at an earlier point in time (as is the case below). As always, reviews are very welcome! Enjoy!

* * *

**Basement of a non-descript house, South Side of Chicago, Illinois  
****15 January, 2014 - 05:06 CST**

"PLEASE STOP," the vampire screamed at the top of his lungs. His chest pinned to the steel-reinforced wall by an industrial hydraulic system, the four limbs were stretched apart and held in place by heavy metal shackles that were integrated into the wall. Bloody tears were streaming down his face, as blood was oozing from numerous wounds on his broken body.

His human captor paused for a moment, then stabbed the vampire again in the stomach with a pair of garden shears. His face remained a stoic mask as the vampire howled in pain. After a few seconds, he moved closer to the vampire and said, "Which vampires do you work for and where can I find them."

The vampire shook his head. "Please, I can't…" His voice cracked as he trailed off and started sobbing.

"You will talk. Maybe not tonight. Maybe not tomorrow night. But you will talk." With that, he opened the shears and mercilessly cut off another finger.

* * *

**District 21 Police Department, Chicago, Illinois  
****15 January, 2014 - 12:45 CST**

Erin walked up the stairs into the Intelligence Unit's offices in a much improved mood and with a newfound determination. Her visit to see Nadia went better than she thought it would. Dr. Carter's update on Nadia's condition and prospect for recovery was nothing but positive, and right before she had to leave, Nadia had woken up.

At first alarmed and panicked by the restraints and the unknown environment, Nadia had settled down when she saw Erin at her bedside. They spoke about why she left the apartment and if she still wanted to get better. _I gave her my word that I will be there for her, and nothing and no one will prevent me from keeping it this time, _Erin remembered, smiling when she recalled how Nadia agreed to get help. Their discussion about what happened to her last night when she was attacked wasn't particularly helpful; Nadia did not remember any details about the attack or the attacker other than that he was a man in his 30s with dark hair.

Arriving at the top of the stairs, she noted that everyone was hanging out at their respective desks, all of them seeming unfocused and unproductive. Voight's office was dark and unoccupied, which surprised her. Waving hello at the team and flashing Jay a shy smile as he looked up at her, she turned into the kitchen to get another caffeine fix.

As she was pouring herself a cup of coffee, Halstead walked in with a folder tucked under his arm. "Hey," she greeted him, taking in the tired look on his face. "I think you need this more than I do," she said as she handed him her cup and picked up another one to pour a cup for herself.

"Did you hear about Voight," Jay asked her in a low voice.

Erin head perked up as she gave him a confused look. "No. What about him?"

"He was arrested last night."

Erin raised her right eyebrow. "What for?"

Jay shrugged his shoulders. "I was hoping you'd know."

Shaking her head, Erin said, "No idea. This is the first I'm hearing about this."

Sensing that the topic was closed, Jay was contend to lean against the kitchen counter and take a sip of coffee from his cup while Erin was finishing pouring coffee for herself. "How's Nadia?"

"All considered, as good as can be expected," Erin answered and turned to face him. "She wants to get better. I'm gonna make sure that's going to happen this time."

Jay nodded and studied Erin's face. He saw the slightly clenched jaw and the steely look in her eyes and knew that nobody was going to keep Erin from making sure that came true. _She's tough. But under that rough shell, she has the biggest heart._ "Did she remember what happened to her?"

"She has no idea who attacked her. Just that it was a male, in his 30s, average height, dark hair. Could be anybody."

"Maybe. Maybe not," Jay said with a sly smile on his face.

"What?"

Holding up the folder triumphantly in front of her, he said. "Why don't we nab and ask the guy who dropped her off? Because that description sounds an awful lot like him."

* * *

**Inside a non-descript house, South Side of Chicago, Illinois  
****15 January, 2014 - 15:36 CST**

He sat inside his safe room, his eyes wandering across the wall of screens in front of him. The mechanical sounds of a dozen computers operating provided the only background noise as he reviewed surveillance data from the prior night to identify his next target.

One of the screens started flashing, indicating that one of his data feeds received new information. Bringing the feed titled "Chicago General Hospital Medical Database" to the main monitor, he quickly scanned the information. _Good girl, _he thought with a smile and sense of relief. _She's doing better. I'm glad she pulled through._ He wasn't sure she would when he dropped her off last night. It was a close call, for sure.

Focusing his attention back to intercepted security camera feeds, his grin got even wider when he caught a glimpse of a female vampire feeding on a young club kid outside a nightclub in the industrial part of town. _Succubus Club, huh?_ he laughed when he identified the address. _Kinda fitting. I know where I'll be spending tonight._

* * *

**District 21 Police Department, Chicago, Illinois  
****15 January, 2014 - 18:52 CST**

Erin stared at the picture in front of her, a look of frustration on her face. "Who are you," she whispered, more to herself than to anyone in particular as she studied the face again. The picture showed the man who brought Nadia into the hospital. Just over six feet, dark, short hair, dark eyes. He seemed in pretty good shape. His posture and the way he moved on the surveillance videos she had reviewed in Jin's office earlier reminded her of military.

The rest of the Intelligence Unit was gone for the day, with the exception of Jay, who sat at his desk finishing up paperwork. She slammed the folder shut in front of her and let out a sigh of frustration, causing Jay to look up from his screen. "Sorry," Erin said. "Just feeling frustrated. I don't like being stuck."

_I really wouldn't mind being stuck with you, _Jay thought, a grin forming on his face.

"What so funny, Halstead," Erin said, raising an eyebrow.

He shook his head, laughing. "Nothing. Just being silly. But hey, I get it. We don't really have much to go on since we figured out that the license registration data was fake. But this guy," Jay said, emphasizing his words by jabbing a finger at the folder on his desk, "This guy is not going to get away. We'll find him, I promise you that."

Erin looked at her partner, a smile forming on her face. _He's kinda cute when he gets agitated. That spark in his eyes is almost sexy… Woah, down girl. Cold shower for me tonight. _Her focus returning to the present, she realized that Jay was looking at her expectantly. "Ahem, what," she asked.

"I said, do you want to get out of here and grab a bite," he repeated as he got up and put on his jacket.

"What is it with you and trying to feed me? I mean, really? If I didn't know any better, I would think you were trying to fatten me up this morning," she teased, breaking into a laugh when she saw the look of disbelieve on his face. "Sure Jay. Let's get a burger at Au Cheval. And you're buying!"

* * *

**Inside Erin's car en route to her apartment, Chicago, Illinois  
****15 January, 2014 - 22:12 CST**

"You know, I gotta give it to you, Lindsay. You weren't lying when you said that they have the best burger in the city. That was awesome," Jay exclaimed enthusiastically.

Erin shot him a quick smile before focusing back on the road. _What a great dinner, _she reflected back on the evening. They had a great time enjoying each other's company. A relaxed evening full of fun, easy-going conversations, and yes, some flirting. _Okay, scratch that. There was a LOT of flirting. _"Yeah, we should do this again sometime," she said in her husky voice, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Oh, definitely," Jay said without hesitation. He studied her profile out of the corner of his eyes as she was driving. _She is so beautiful, _he thought. _These dimples when she smiles are just the cutest thing ever._ He shook his head. _I think I'm falling for my partner, and I don't think I can keep this professional anymore. I don't want to._

They pulled into the parking lot of Erin's apartment complex and Erin parked the car in her reserved spot. She turned to him with a nervous smile. _I don't want this evening to end. Not yet. _"Do you…" she started at the same time Jay began saying, "I need to…"

They both stopped and shared a nervous laugh. "You first," Jay said.

Erin shook her head. "No, you go."

Just as Jay was mustering the courage again to speak, both of their phones started buzzing, breaking up the tangible tension in the car. They looked each other in the eye for another moment before reaching for their phones in unison to check the message.

"It's from Jin," Erin said. "He found our guy."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Author's notes: Appreciate all of the positive reviews and private messages following the posting of chapter 4 – Thank You! As you may have seen, I started working on a second Chicago PD story, but should be able to keep both stories going at a decent pace. As always, reviews are very welcome! Enjoy!

* * *

**Inside Erin's car, South Side of Chicago, Illinois  
15 January, 2014 - 22:56 CST**

"Turn left there," Jay directed, pointing at a small side street while holding his cell phone to his right ear. After Erin made the turn, he listened to the voice on the other end and nodded. "Should be coming up towards the end of the block."

As the car made its way through the darkness, they spotted the black Dodge Charger parked on the side of the road. "We found it, Jin," Jay spoke into the phone. "Thanks for your help, man!" Closing the phone, Jay pulled out his gun as they were slowly pulling up to the car in front of them.

Erin put the car in park without shutting off the engine, pulled out her own gun and nodded at Jay. "Let's nail the bastard!"

They both got out of Lindsay's car and slowly approached the parked vehicle, weapons aimed in front of them. They both flipped on their flashlights when they simultaneously swung around each side of the car, illuminating the inside of the Dodge and showing that it was empty.

"Clear," Jay said from the passenger's side.

"Clear," Erin responded, lowering her weapon. Looking into the car, there was nothing suspicious she could see. In fact, she was surprised by how barren the car was – no objects on the backseat, no pieces of paper, nothing in the cup-holders, nothing personal at all.

"What do you want to do," Jay asked her. "Stake it out and wait for him to return, or go looking for him."

Erin looked at him and shook her head. "Knowing what he did to Nadia, I am not going to wait around for him to assault someone else. He's around here somewhere. Let's go and find him."

* * *

**Succubus Club, Chicago, Illinois  
15 January, 2014 - 23:02 CST**

The Succubus Club was massive. Set in an old multi-story industrial warehouse, it was actually divided into several distinct areas, with the primary dance floor and seating space taking up most of the ground floor. Elevated walkways led to hanging platform dance areas and to private VIP areas on higher levels.

Standing on one of the catwalks above the main room, he was holding on to his drink while scanning the moving mass of hundreds of clubgoers below him for his target. The air was heavy with cigarette smoke, and booming club music reverberated off the walls and made the metal catwalk vibrate with each thump of the bass.

Tapping the side of his jury-rigged Google Glasses, he switched on the infrared spectrum overlay to scan the people below and around him. "Holy shit," he cursed under his breath as he surveyed the crowd. There were at least a dozen vampires present, their lack of body heat easily making them distinguishable from the humans.

_This is so not safe, _ he thought to himself. _I should get out of here. _

Trying to casually walk down the metal stairways without drawing any attention to himself, he continued to scan the crowd in front of him. As he reached the ground floor, he spotted the female vampire he had seen on last night's security camera recording – she appeared to be barely 18, was dressed in a revealing outfit and was laughing as she dragged a young man towards the exit. _Perfect. _Reaching for the MP5K submachine gun concealed under his black leather duster, he followed them out to the street.

* * *

**Inside Erin's car, South Side of Chicago, Illinois  
15 January, 2014 - 23:12 CST**

Jay could feel Erin's tension building up as they were cruising around the area looking for the suspect. She had stopped talking, which usually was not a good sign, and he could tell that she was holding the steering wheel more tightly than she normally would.

"Come on," she muttered under her breath. "He's gotta be here somewhere."

They were going down one of the side streets when Jay all of a sudden spotted what looked like sparks on the street one block in front of them. "Woah, did you see that," he asked Erin.

"No, what was it?"

Jay shook his head. _Did I just imagine that? _ Unsure about what he saw, he shook his head and said, "I don't know. Maybe it was nothing."

As they reached the next intersection, the traffic light was about to change to red and Erin floored the accelerator to cross the intersection in time when all of a sudden the street in front of them erupted in yellow sparks as a young women jumped across the width of the street barely 20 feet in front of them and disappeared into an alleyway between two buildings. Even inside the car, the sound of bullets being fired from an automatic assault weapon could clearly be heard. Out of the corner of her eyes, Erin saw a man in a black leather duster run out onto the street directly in front of her car, a small submachine gun in hand and firing after the woman in the alleyway. Before she could react, her car smashed into him, sending him airborne.

* * *

_You feisty little bitch, _he thought as he was chasing her. She was fast and he had a hard time keeping up with her. When he realized that she could get away, he aimed his MP5K at her and pulled the trigger. At a fire rate of 800 rounds a minute, he emptied the first clip with one squeeze of the trigger. Putting in a new magazine, he saw her jump across the next cross street and duck into an alleyway. Determined to not let her escape, he raised the weapon again and fired as he was in a full run trying to cross the street. He was so focused on the vampire that he did not see the car coming at him until he was squarely hit and thrown across the street, smashing into the windshield of a parked car.

* * *

Coming to a screeching halt, both Erin and Jay shook off the surprising turn of events and jumped out of the car, weapons drawn. The man they hit had landed on a car to their left, but was already in the process of rolling himself off the hood and come to his feet on the sidewalk. He seemed slightly disoriented, but still had the submachine gun in hand, pointed at the ground.

"Chicago PD," both Erin and Jay screamed as they pointed their guns at him.

"Drop your weapon. NOW," Erin yelled at him as he looked up and stared at her. "Drop it now, or I swear I will drop you." Her voice was steely and cold, but her heart was beating in her chest like crazy both from the adrenaline and the realization that she was staring into the very face she had been looking for.

He looked at her and Halstead and, after a brief moment, tossed the gun to the side before slowing sinking down to his knees while lifting his hands in the air. "You're making a mistake."

"Shut up and get down on the ground," Halstead yelled him as he approached him from behind. When the suspect did not move or follow the order, he stepped closer and kicked him in the back to push him to the ground. "The only mistake may be that we did not get you sooner," Jay said as he put cuffs on him. "You're gonna go away for a very, very long time."

* * *

**District 21 Police Department, Chicago, Illinois  
16 January, 2014 – 02:18 CST**

Jay pushed back his chair in the interrogation room, jumped to his feet and swiftly walked around the table to get right into the suspect's face. "I've had it with you. We know you were at the hospital. We just caught you trying to kill someone with a military-grade assault weapon."

The suspect just stared at him unfazed.

"You better start talking, or I will lose my patience," Jay said threateningly.

Erin watched the exchange from across the table, feeling extremely frustrated. The guy had not said a word since they cuffed him. And for some reason that she could not articulate, she felt like he had more control over this situation than they did. She was about to interject herself into the staring match between Jay and the stranger when the door to the interrogation room was pushed open, revealing a tired looking Sergeant Voight. "Voight," Erin said surprised.

Jay backed away from the suspect, caught off guard. "Sarge."

Voight stared at them and then settled his gaze on the suspect. After a few seconds, he said, "Lindsay, Halstead. My office. NOW."

He took a step outside, waiting for them to get up and exit the room. Erin and Jay exchanged a confused look and walked past him towards his office. Voight kept staring at the suspect until Erin and Jay had left the basement and were on their way upstairs.

"Hank," the suspect said, nodding a greeting at the officer.

Nodding at the suspect, Voight answered, "Xander. It's been a while."

* * *

"What is going on here, detectives," Voight asked them as he marched into his office and plopped into the chair behind his desk. "I get a call from the night desk telling me that you brought someone in without bunking him for the night? Then I come in and see you interrogating a suspect not related to any case we are working. Care to explain?"

"Assault with a submachine gun, almost killing a young woman. Also suspected of attacking and almost killing another woman who was a witness on one of our recent cases," Erin started explaining.

Voight nodded and studied his two detectives. "Has he given you anything?"

Both Erin and Jay shook their head. "Nothing. Said we were making a mistake when we arrested him. Since then, nothing. Refused to give us prints, as well."

"Halstead, go and lock him up for the night. We'll pick this up tomorrow," Voight ordered. Jay nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Now, you wanna tell me how you found this guy," Voight questioned Erin.

Erin studied Hank's face. _I know that tone of voice, _ Erin thought. _He's annoyed. In a bad way. Something's bothering him, and I get the feeling I'm walking on thin ice here. _ "We got lucky on our way home."

"That a question or a statement, kiddo?"

Erin bit her lower lip. The way her voice sounded, it could have been either. Taking a deep breath, she said, "What's really going on, Hank?"

Contemplating whether he should tell her, he decided that she had a right to know. _At least a part of it. _ "Remember how you asked me a couple of weeks ago how many cards I ever gave out?"

"I do," Erin said. "You gave out nine, and three of them came back."

He nodded at her. "That's right. You were one of the three. The guy downstairs was one of the other two."

* * *

Author's notes: This took a little longer to get out than I wanted to - work's been crazy lately. Next I'll be working on wrapping up chapter 3 of "To Wish Impossible Things."


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